Closure.



S'. P. sTEvENsoN.

CLOSURE.

APPLICATION man Aumzs. 1911.

Patented July 13, 1915.

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CLOSURE.

APPLICATION FILED 11119.23. 1911.

1,146, 1 1 2 Patented. July 13, 1915.

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.jg I j x my"111111111111111 v@1111111111211 1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII UNITED STATES @PATIENT @FFIQEL SAMUEL PRICE STEVENSON, OF CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOSURE.

Appncation iled August 23, 1911.

To all 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL PRICE STEVEN- soN, of Chester, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Closures, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. y

The invention relates to alrevoluble closure, such as may be interposed for example at the entrance of a cooling room, whereby objects may be introduced or withdrawn with the minimum waste of cold. Thus in cooling or air hardening rooms of ice cream factories, it is desirable that the cans or freezers be introduced or withdrawn with the least possible escape of cold air. My invention is applicable to this purpose, but it is similarly applicable to all situations where objects are to be passed from one compartment to another without establishing free communication of air between the two compartments.

My closure consists of a split cylindrical casing with suitable openings on opposite sides, and a revolving frame with quadrant partitions mounted within the casing. 'Ihe bushings which carry the revolving frame are split so as to render easy the removal of the revolving frame. The sills of the openings of the casing are flush with the carrying surface of the revolving frame. The edges of the partitions are packed so as to prevent the passage of air around them and means are provided to permit the revolution to occur only in one direction in order to preserve the packing.

Other details of construction to which my invention relates will be specified in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I, is a plan view of a closure lembodying my invention. Fig. II, is a front elevation of the same. Fig. III, is a vertical section along the line III, III, of Fig. I. Fig. IV, is an elevation of the revolving portions. Fig. V, is a horizontal section along the line V, V, of Fig. IV. Fig. VI, is a detail view of one of the split bushings.

The closure consists essentially in the combination of the cylindricalcasing 1, and the revolving partitioned frame 20.

The casing comprises the bottom piece 2, the top piece 3, and the cylindrical walls 4:,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13,1915.

Serial No. 645,642.

arrangedso as to provide a front opening 5, and a rear opening 6. In connection with the front opening, there is built out a door frame 7, protected by a swinging door 8, with the details of which this invention is not concerned. In the region of the opening which this door protects, there is mounted on the bottom piece 2, a second bottom piece 9, and there is also a similar second top piece 10, alixed to the top piece 3. Both of these second pieces are cut off along the line 14, 141. Upon the piece 9, is mounted a front sill 13, which is Hush with the carrying surface 0f the revolving frame. This casing is split along the line 141-., 14, all back of this line in Fig. I, being completely removable and being attached thereto by fastenings 12 which are indicated in the drawings. This rear and removable portion of the casing includes the rear opening 6, and

also the bottom and top pieces 15, and 16,

which are complemental to the pieces 9, and 10, belonging to the fixed portion of the casing. Upon the part 15, is mounted a rear sill 18, which is iush with the carrying surface of the revolving frame.

The vertical axle vof the revolving frame is mounted in split bearings one of which is shown in detail in Fig. VI. Each bearing comprises a ring piece 26, and a complemental piece 27, which carries a part of the wall of the bearing. The two ring pieces are affixed to the pieces 9, and 10, of the xed casing. The two complemental pieces 27, are affixed to the pieces 15, and 16, of the removable portion of the casing. Consequently when this part of thecasing is removed, the bearings are open to permit the removal of the revolving frame.

Therevolving frame 20, consists of upper and lower disks 21, 22, of which the latter forms the lcarrying surface. These are mounted upon an upright shaft or axle 23, preferably squared, but with round ends which constitute the bearings which are received between the split bearings which have been already described. The lower bearing which constitutes the thrust bearing is provided wth balls or rollers as indicated in Fig. III, at the bottom to bear the weight.

The upper and lower disks 21, and 22, are connected by vertical quadrant partitions 30, 30, 30, 30, each of which consists of a double thickness of board. These are held in place against the central shaft 23, by means of the angular pieces 31, 31, bolted together' in opposing pairs, by the bolts 32, as shown. Between the edges of these partitions there are secured rubber packing surfaces 35,

which project sufhciently both at the sideV and the top and bottom edges to completely close the space intervening between the edges of these partitions and the casing. It is desirable with a packing of this characterthat the revolution of the frameshall occur only in one direction. To insure this l provide a detent 10, afhxed to the piece 15, and a ratchet surface 11, upon the upperdisk of the rotating frame which coperating with the detent permits motion only in one direction.

ln order that strain may be taken olf the thrust bearing when a heavy object is roughly placed upon the carrying surface of therotating frame, I provide studs 44, projecting down from the lower side of the lower disk, one for each quadrant of the disk, which studs however, do not quite reach to the fixed surface below them except when they receive a blow, in which case this surface takes a portion of the strain olf the bearing.

By the device thus described objects such as cans or freezers may be inserted through the door and placed upon the carrying surface of the revolving frame in one of the quadrants into which it is divided by the partitions. By rotating they are moved until they are capable of being again withdrawn through the rear opening of the casing, without at any timeestablishing free communication of air from one side to. the other of the closure.

The provision of the sills or thresholds .flush with the carrying surface of the revolving part is of importance as it minimizes the blow received by the revolving portion when a heavy Objectis placed upon it. The studs which have been described further serve to resist such blows. By splitting the casing as has been described, it is readily possible to unfasten and remove the entire rear portion of the casing, with the complemental portions of the split bushings, whereupon the whole revolving frame may be removed for cleaning or repair.

Having thus described my invention, l claim:

1. A closure comprising a casing having a top and a bottom, a revolving frame located within the casing and including upper and lower disks, and radial partitions extending between the disks, a flexible packing carried by said partitions and adapted to engage the walls of the casing, said disks having radial slots through which the packing extends whereby said packing may also engage the top and the bottom of the casing.

2. A closure comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet opening, a door for closing said inlet opening, said casing at the rear thereof being curved, a revolving circular frame located within the casing, and including upper and lower disks, and radial partitions extending between the disks, a flexible packing carried by said partitions and adapted to engage the curved part of the casing, said disks having radial slots Y therein, through which the packing extends,

whereby said packing may also engage the top and bottom of the casing.

3. A closure comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet opening, a door for closing said inlet opening, said casing at the rear thereof being curved, a revolving frame located within the casing, and including upper and lower disks, and radial partitions extending between the disks, a flexible packing carried by said partitions and adapted to engage the cylindrical part of the casing, said disks having radial slots therein, through which the packing extends, whereby said packing may engage the top and bottom of the casing, a central shaft extending above the upper disk and below the lower disk, a bearing in the casing for the upper end of the shaft and a split bearing in the casing for the lower end of said shaft.

ln testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name altA Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this twenty-second day of August, 1911.

SAMUEL PRICE STEVENSUN.

llVitnesses:

JAMns H. EELL, E. lL.V FULLERTON.

Copies of' this patent may be obtained forfvevcents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

